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O'Connor Partners Investment Office
Edmund and William O'Connor built an exchange-era fortune by co-founding the CBOE and O'Connor & Associates.
O'Connor Partners Investment Office
The O'Connor brothers created durable wealth at the intersection of derivatives infrastructure and proprietary trading. They co-founded O'Connor & Associates in the 1970s, a firm that became one of the largest equity options market-makers globally, and helped design the CBOE itself. The proceeds from the eventual sale of O'Connor & Associates to Swiss Bank Corporation in the 1990s form the core of the family's investment pool, managed through this Chicago-based single-family office. The office pursues a deliberately multi-asset strategy spanning private equity, venture capital, real estate, hedge funds, private credit, and natural resources. It invests across the full company lifecycle — from pre-seed and seed-stage checks through growth equity and buyouts — and operates in North America, Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa. The venture and growth-equity activity is channeled significantly through OCA Ventures, a Chicago-focused venture firm where Edmund O'Connor is a general partner and Jim Dugan serves as CEO. The platform evaluates opportunities in FinTech, Digital Health, PropTech, InsurTech, and enterprise software, among other sectors. The family office is closely intertwined with OCA Ventures but maintains a distinct mandate that includes substantial allocations to fund commitments and direct co-investments. Jim Dugan, a founding member of the Illinois Venture Capital Association, has overseen the O'Connor Partners Pledge Fund, a vehicle that ties investment activity to philanthropic giving. The O'Connors maintain the Elizabeth & Daniel O'Connor Family Foundation and the O'Connor Family Foundation as separate philanthropic structures. The office operates from the historic Chicago Board of Trade Building at 141 West Jackson Boulevard. What distinguishes this office is the relationship between its exchange-founding roots and its investment architecture. The O'Connor fortune was not generated by a single operating company or consumer brand but by building the financial infrastructure on which modern derivatives markets run. That origin yields a portfolio unusually comfortable with both structured market risk (hedge funds, private credit) and illiquid venture exposure, managed by principals who understand market microstructure at the level of the exchange floor.
General information
Firm type
Single Family Office
Year founded
—
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Chicago
Corporate office
Chicago, IL, United States
Principals
Edmund J. O'Connor
Founder
William O'Connor
Founder
Nick Schoewe
Vice-Chairman
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at O'Connor Partners Investment Office?
Day-to-day oversight involves Edmund O'Connor and Vice-Chairman Nick Schoewe. Much of the venture and growth-equity activity is executed in coordination with OCA Ventures, where Edmund is a general partner and Jim Dugan is CEO. The office has not publicly detailed its full internal investment committee structure.
How is O'Connor Partners related to OCA Ventures?
They are sibling vehicles under the O'Connor family umbrella. O'Connor Partners is the single-family office managing the broader pool of family capital across all asset classes. OCA Ventures is a dedicated venture capital firm where Edmund O'Connor is a general partner and which serves as a primary vehicle for the family's technology and early-stage investing, particularly in the Chicago ecosystem.
What is the underlying source of the O'Connor family wealth?
The wealth stems from the derivatives trading and exchange-creation businesses of brothers Edmund and William O'Connor. They co-founded O'Connor & Associates, which grew into one of the world's largest equity options market-makers, and were founding figures of the Chicago Board Options Exchange. O'Connor & Associates was acquired by Swiss Bank Corporation (now UBS) in the 1990s.
Does the office make direct investments or only fund commitments?
It does both. The firm invests through direct co-investments and special-purpose vehicles, fund-of-funds commitments, and allocations to hedge funds. Its direct activity spans pre-seed through buyout stages.
Which sectors does O'Connor Partners explicitly avoid?
No explicit exclusion list is public. The confirmed investment record shows activity concentrated in FinTech, Digital Health, PropTech, InsurTech, EdTech, and enterprise software. There is no public evidence of involvement in defense technology, hard extractive industries, or consumer packaged goods.
How are the O'Connor philanthropic foundations structured?
The family maintains at least two separate foundations — the Elizabeth & Daniel O'Connor Family Foundation and the O'Connor Family Foundation. The O'Connor Partners Pledge Fund, historically overseen by Jim Dugan, represents a direct link between investment returns and charitable giving, channeling a portion of investment gains into philanthropic causes.
What is the firm's known posture on co-investing alongside external GPs?
The office has a demonstrated willingness to co-invest alongside external managers, particularly through the OCA Ventures network. The Chicago ecosystem connections, including board involvement with the 1871 tech hub and IVCA membership, suggest a collaborative rather than purely proprietary sourcing model.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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